Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2000 16:08:12 -0500
From: Lucas Thompson
Subject: Because I Love You - 14
Author's Note:
Hey...is this thing on???
Well...here it is folks. I know it's been a while, and I do
apologize, but things just got a bit carried away from me for awhile. I was
hoping to get this out before Christmas, as a sort of Christmas present for
yall to read if it got boring at the family party...but oh well, better late
than never. It's already been over five months since the last one...what's
another day, right? :) Anyway...truth is, it was all Harry Potter's fault.
This would have been out sooner, but I started reading the damn books and
just couldn't stop...who the hell would've thought they were so addicting???
Happy Holidays!!!
Well...enough babble. Here's chapter 14. Chapters 12-15 were
supposed to come out as a package...like one after the other, but we all
know that didn't happen...so just in case you've forgotten what's going on
in the world of BILY, go read those again before this one.
So...I'll stop here...more at the end. As always...
E-mail me at: rtstories@hotmail.com
Legal Disclaimer:
This work is purely fiction. It is purely derived from the mind
of the author and in no way dictates the sexual orientation of any of the
Back Street Boys. Only in my mind do I truly believe they're gay, and in
love with me. Any similarity to real life, or to someone's life, is purely
coincidental. It contains homosexual subject matter. If you're not into
that, why not??? Gay porn/erotica is way hotter than heterosexual porn!!! Do
not read any further if you are under the legal age for viewing this
material in your country, state, province, city, town, suburb, home, shack,
hole in the wall, cardboard box, van down by the river, trailer home, room,
or dormitory at Hogwart's School of Witches and Wizards!!!
One last thing...If you haven't done so already...Go buy the new BSB
album, "BLACK AND BLUE."
End of Chapter Thirteen
"Wow." Nick said breaking the silence.
"Yeah." Brian responded in return.
"That was..."
"Yeah it was." Brian said, completing Nick's thought.
Nick captured the feeling of the moment they just shared perfectly.
There were no words to describe what they had just shared, or how they both
felt. It was beyond words, and even beyond comprehension, except for the
two of them. They shared those feelings with each other at the same moment.
It was better than either of them had imagined. It was perfection.
"Maybe we should clean up." Brian said.
"Yeah." Nick responded, but neither of them moved.
They laughed at the weakness they felt, and at the unwillingness of
each one to separate from the other. Brian was the first to move. He
slowly lifted his body from Nick's. As soon as Nick felt Brian's weight
being removed, he began to feel the bareness surround him. When Brian
pulled out of Nick, and they separated, Nick couldn't help but feel empty.
He sat up, and looked at Brian. Brian could see a hint of sadness in
his eyes. He leaned in, and gave Nick a loving kiss, shattering all
thoughts of loneliness from his mind.
When their kiss broke, Brian walked into the bathroom, and returned
with a warm washcloth. He instructed Nick to lay on the bed. Brian sat
next to him, and carefully cleansed Nick. He lightly ran the warm cloth
over Nick's body. Nick could feel the coolness of the room set in, where
Brian had just run the washcloth over his exposed skin. When Brian had
finished his thorough cleaning, he put the washcloth aside, and pulled down
the bed covers. Nick crawled in, and Brian followed.
"I love you with all my heart. Don't ever forget that." Brian said.
"I love you with all my soul."
They faced each other, and shared another kiss, before falling asleep
in each other's arms...as one.
************************************************************************
To my one true Angel...you're both an inspiration to my life, and to this
story...
Because I Love You
By: Lucas
Chapter 14
"Nick...Nick...Come on Frack you gotta get up!!!" Brian said loudly,
as he shook Nick from the deep sleep he was in.
"C'mon Nick, you have to get up or we're gonna be late."
"Wha...Huh???" Was Nick's response. Brian chuckled to himself, as
Nick clutched onto his pillow with a confused look on his face.
As Nick tried desperately to wake himself up, he wondered why Brian
was trying to wake him so soon. Nick lazily opened his eyes and smiled up
at Brian. His smile faded slightly, as he expected to wake up with Brian
still in bed with him. Instead, he was hovering above him, fully clothed.
Nick struggled to sit up. He released the pillow from his grip and leaned
back against the headboard.
Seeing that Nick was finally waking up, Brian scurried around the room
searching for Nick's suitcases. When he found them, he began to fill them
with the clothes that were strewn all around the room, in the dresser, and
in the closet.
"What are you doing? Why aren't you still in bed?" Nick asked,
rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"I woke up about an hour ago. It's a good thing too, cause we have to
meet the guys in half an hour. You need to get dressed."
"Why? Where we going?"
"We leave for Michigan today. Boy, yesterday must have really tired
you out." Brian said with a smile.
A large grin appeared on Nick's face, as he thought of yesterday's
events. He had finally told Brian that he loved him, found out that Brian
felt the same way, and made love. The afterglow that came after having sex
for the first time was evident on Nick's face, as he smiled and stared at
his soul mate.
"What?" Brian asked confused. "Why are you smiling?"
"You know why. You should be smiling too, after yesterday."
"Oh, yeah. I had a great time. I'm sure we'll have just as much fun
with Ewan around again." Brian responded with a smile.
"I don't know if Ewan would want to be included in our fun." Nick
said jokingly.
"Huh? Why not?" Brian asked. "If anything, he'd be more fun than
you and me combined. He always is." Brian said to an even more confused
Nick.
"Wait, are we talking about the same thing?"
"Why what are you talking about?"
"Wait, what are you talking about?" Nick asked, wanting to make sure
Brian wasn't joking.
"I'm talking about yesterday, you know, when we went to Disney and
stuff. That was a lot of fun. Next time we should bring Ewan with us, but
I'm sure he's got a lot in store for us when we get to Michigan." Brian
answered. "Why what are you talking about?"
"Wait," Nick asked confused, "are you sure that's all we did
yesterday? I could've sworn..."
"Yeah, all of us ditched Kevin, and you and me went to Disney and
Epcot together. We had dinner, watched the laser light show, and came back
here. We were gonna watch a movie, but I think I fell asleep before you got
out of the shower." Brian continued to explain. "The next thing I knew, I
woke up in your room this morning. It was still a bit early, so I went back
to my room to get ready. I came back here to make sure you were awake and
packed."
"And nothing else happened? We didn't go to the beach after dinner or
anything, or meet in your room?" Nick asked hesitantly.
"No, why would we be in my room? I followed you here last
night...remember? I think you were e-mailing something while I was in the
shower." Brian said, trying to clarify yesterday's events to Nick.
"But what about the letter?"
"What letter? I don't remember a letter."
"What about the pocket watch?"
"Nick, you're starting to freak me out here. What pocket watch?"
"I couldn't have imagined everything...could I?" Nick asked softly.
"I don't know, but we don't have time for this. We'll talk about it
on the bus. Kevin's already gonna be pissed at us for ditching him
yesterday, and if we're late on top of that, I don't even want to know what
he's gonna do. Now get out of bed, and get dressed." Brian commanded.
"I'm gonna go back to my room cause I still have some packing to do. You
better be ready to go by the time I get back, okay?"
"Yeah." Nick said absentmindedly.
"I'm serious, Nick."
"I'll be ready. Don't worry." Nick blankly said, as he stared at
Brian with a forced smile.
"Alright. Fine. I'll be back." Brian said, as he made his way
towards the door. Before he walked out, he turned to look at Nick, who was
still in a daze.
"Damn, that must have been some dream you had Nick. You'll have to
tell me all about it later." Brian said, as he stepped outside, and closed
the door.
Nick instinctively stood from the bed, and looked around the room. It
was then that he realized he had awoken in his room, and not Brian's. He
walked over to the bathroom, opened the door, and looked back into his room,
before he stepped inside.
"It was just a dream...it was only a dream..." Nick quietly said into
the room, as he shook his head in disbelief.
******
"Flight 902 from Orlando, Florida now arriving at Gate 16B." Ewan
heard the voice say over the loudspeaker. He checked his watch and noticed
that they were right on schedule.
Ewan wandered over to Gate 16B, and saw that it was closed off by
airport security. Also, there were a few BackStreet personnel and
bodyguards holding back the fans. Ewan wondered how he was going to get
through, as he began to circle the crowd trying to find a way in, when he
heard his name being called. Ewan spotted Marc, as he fought his way
towards him.
Marc motioned for two of the bodyguards to follow him. As he reached
the area where Ewan stood, he pointed Ewan out to the bodyguards, who
eventually escorted him into the closed off gate.
"Thanks Marc."
"No problem. Nick told me earlier that you might be here, and to keep
an eye out for ya. How's it going?"
"Pretty good. Tired, actually. It's almost finals time."
"Yeah, I remember those days. Although, I seem to remember partying
more than taking exams." Marc joked, as they waited for the boys to
disembark from the plane.
"Yup. Can't forget the parties. That's what this weekend is all
about." Ewan said with a huge grin.
"That's right. The guys are pretty excited about staying with ya.
That's all I heard them talk about. Happy Birthday, by the way."
"Thanks." Ewan said smiling. "Finally 21...I'm legal."
"You sure you don't have that backwards??? You seem more like 12 to
me." Marc joked, earning him a playful slap in the arm.
"I don't mind you guys partying, but just make sure you keep an eye
out on those two clowns. I already talked to them about it before, and I
just wanted to let you know..."Marc added, turning serious on Ewan.
"I know...I know..." Ewan interrupted Marc. "I remember the rules.
No need to worry, Dad." Ewan reassured Marc, who didn't seem convinced.
"Besides, Nick and Brian are big boys, they can take care of themselves."
"That's just it. It's not them I'm worried about..." Marc trailed
off, as he looked directly at Ewan, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Hey!!! I'm offended!!!" Ewan mockingly joked, as he realized what
Marc was implying. "Yeah, I'm sure you are." Marc replied equally dripping
with sarcasm. They were both in mid laughter when they heard the deafening
screams of the fans surrounding them.
Marc quickly turned away from Ewan, as he returned to the job at hand.
Ewan spotted his friends as they stepped from the gate, and stood
waving at the crowd. Instantly, he spotted Nick, who seemed to be searching
for him. Once they made eye contact, Nick grabbed Brian and began to
quickly walk over towards him.
"We need to get out of here...NOW!!!" Nick whispered desperately into
Ewan's ear, right before he released him from the embrace they were in.
Ewan searched Nick's face for answers, but found none. Instead, Nick
shot him a pensive look that said, "I'll tell you later."
"Could we get out of here please?!?" Brian pleaded with Ewan.
Before he could ask Brian what was wrong, the others descended upon
them, each one greeting Ewan and wishing him a Happy Birthday. Ewan thanked
them, but could not escape the uncomfortable looks from both Brian and Nick,
who now took refuge behind him.
"Thanks guys. Um, maybe we should get out of here before you get
mobbed." Ewan responded.
"Good idea." Nick and Brian answered in unison, garnishing a glare
from Kevin.
Nick and Brian turned away, trying to avoid the look Kevin shot at
them. Ewan couldn't help but notice the uncomfortably odd behavior between
his friends.
"Let's go then. You guys heading out with Ewan?" Kevin said, once
again glaring at the two, and speaking in a monotonous tone.
"Uh...Yeah." Nick answered questioningly, almost as if he was asking
for Kevin's permission to sleep over.
"Okay. What about your stuff? Is Marc bringing it to the hotel?"
"Yeah. Nick and I have all we need." Brian said almost inaudibly, as
if he was ashamed of something.
Ewan watched the exchange take place before him and looked over
towards A.J. and Howie, silently searching for an answer to what was going
on. A.J. shrugged his shoulders, in answer to Ewan's question. When Kevin
signaled that they were ready to leave, their bodyguards arrived next to
them. With one last wave, they were on their way.
******
"What was that all about back there?" Ewan asked, as he sat inside
the limousine with Nick and Brian, who breathed a sigh of relief at finally
escaping Kevin. It was the first time they felt at ease since the incident
the other day.
"I'm not exactly sure." Brian answered.
"Kev's been acting all weird lately. It was almost creepy." Nick
said.
" 'Creepy Kevin?' " Ewan added, causing Nick and Brian to laugh, and
feel more at ease. "What happened since I last talked to you, Nick?"
Nick tensed when he heard Ewan's question. He hadn't been able to
talk to Ewan before today. The last contact they had was the e-mail he sent
the night before he had that dream. Since then, he was still in a daze as
he tried to sort out what exactly had happened, or didn't happen, and was so
preoccupied, that he never got the chance to call or write.
As they drove to Ewan's fraternity house, Nick and Brian took turns
relaying the story of how they ditched Kevin the day they went to Disney
World. From the way Brian spoke, how Nick seemed to censor certain details,
and by the way he was throwing certain glances across the limousine at him,
Ewan was able to guess that Nick hadn't told Brian yet.
The expression on Ewan's face changed from a bewildered one, to
reproachful, to disappointment, when he realized what had happened. From
Nick's last e-mail, he expected something different. Ewan wasn't sure
exactly what to expect, and so he prepared to either congratulate the happy
couple, or console Nick. What he didn't expect was to find things between
Nick and Brian the same as when he last saw them. He silently relayed those
thoughts to Nick through his eyes.
Nick caught on, nodded to confirm Ewan's thoughts, and preceded to
sink down in his seat from the shame he felt. Feeling that he somehow let
his best friend down, Nick turned his gaze from Ewan, and stared out the
window at the passing scenery.
Since Nick bowed out of the conversation, Brian and Ewan decided to
carry one of their own.
"So the next day, Nick and I almost overslept. I knew Kevin would
already be pissed at us for ditching him the day before, and he'd be fuming
if we were late. I had to wake up Nicky's lazy ass yesterday morning. I
felt bad, cause Frack looked like he was having a really good dream. Eh,
Frack???" Brian said, as he nudged Nick's arm, trying to get him back into
the conversation.
"You never said what it was about. It must've seemed pretty real
cause you were really confused when you woke up."
Nick winced in pain at Brian's mention of the dream, and even more
when he touched him. It was like Brian unknowingly took a stab at his
heart, and it reminded him of what he could not have. Ewan watched the
exchange, and grew even more curious as to what Nick's thoughts were on.
"Yeah." Nick simply responded, not bothering to turn away from the
window, only wanting to retreat back into the world he was lost in.
Brian's watch lingered over Nick, before he turned towards Ewan, with
a questioning look. Ewan's only response was to shrug his shoulders. Brian
took one last look at Nick before he continued with his story. There was a
hint of sadness in his eyes as he watched Nick lose himself in his thoughts.
Before turning back to Ewan, he willed away the sadness and concern he
felt.
"Anyway," Brian continued again. "When we saw Kevin the next morning,
we expected him to be angry, so we were prepared for it."
"Was that vein in his neck throbbing as he yelled?"
"That's just it." Brian said, "We could tell he was angry, but he
didn't act like it. There was no yelling or anything. He even asked us
about our 'Day Off.'"
"What did you say?" Ewan asked perplexed.
"What could we say? We told him about it and he listened; even acted
like he was interested. I still expected him to blow up at us afterwards,
but he still hasn't said anything. He just gives us this look from time to
time and smiles."
"That's weird. That doesn't sound like Kevin."
"Yeah. I know. So it's been 'Creepy Kevin' for the past few days.
It's freakin' me out. I wish he'd just yell at us and get it over with
already."
"He was kinda weirding me out at the airport." Ewan threw in.
"Something just seemed off." He said, his focus shifting from Brian to Nick
as he said that.
Brian caught on and turned to look back at Nick, who was still blankly
staring out of the window next to him, lost in another world. In the
darkness of the limousine, Brian would catch a glimpse of Nick's reflection
through the glass of the window as they periodically passed under a
streetlamp. Brian took note of the lack in expression on Nick's face. He
furrowed his eyebrows together in bewilderment.
"Well, you guys won't have to worry about Kevin anymore. It's just
us. We're gonna have a lot of fun. No 'BackStreet Boys' this weekend.
Just Nick and Brian."
Brian turned back to face Ewan, and a huge smile formed on his lips.
"Thank God." Brian spoke. "You sure no one will care that we're in the
band?"
"Positive. I don't know too many people who listen to your music.
There probably will be one or two, but not enough to constitute a mob.
We'll probably spend a lot of time in the house, and from what I know; my
Brothers don't listen to your music, so it's all good. If they do, then
they're in the closet about it."
As soon as Ewan's words left his mouth, they registered in his head
and he immediately regretted his callous choice of words. He averted his
eyes to Nick's reflection in the dark tinted glass. Their eyes met briefly,
but Nick's face still remained expressionless. "Well, that's good." Brian
said, causing Ewan's attention to shift once again. "I could use a weekend
without the fans or the fame."
"Well...you may have to worry about one fan." Ewan said, as he
suppressed his laughter.
Brian caught sight of the devilish grin, and didn't like the glint in
his friend's eyes.
"I don't like the way you just said that." Brian said with a smile on
his face, while suspiciously glaring at Ewan. "Who is it? So that we can
avoid them."
"See...that's the problem." Ewan said as the smile he sported took
over his face.
"Oh geez...I knew a weekend of not being a 'BackStreet Boy' was
impossible." Brian threw up his hands in frustration and rolled his eyes,
causing Ewan to laugh.
"The only one who really needs to worry is you, Bri."
"Me...Why only Me??? Nick's a 'BackStreet Boy' too and he's cuter."
Brian said in attempt to cheer Nick up. A slight smile broke through Nick's
sullen fašade, causing Brian and Ewan to smile. "Who is this person?"
"It's one of the guys who live down the hall from me. He thinks
you're cute, and that's why you can't avoid him. He lives in the house."
Ewan said, laughing audibly this time. "He spent the entire day trying to
put together an outfit to wear for you, and he kept asking me what you were
like, and what your favorite things were. I told him you liked oatmeal
cookies."
"But I hate oatmeal cookies. You're the one who swears by them."
"Exactly." Ewan said, still grinning. "He spent the whole day baking
them just for you. I wouldn't be surprised if he was standing in front of
the house, holding a tray of fresh baked cookies when we get there. And as
a fan of yours...you can't refuse his gift!!!"
"You're such an evil bastard. You know that???"
"Yup...That's me, but I prefer spawn of Satan."
"Well, at least it's not your roommate." Brian said.
"Well, he thinks you're cute too," Ewan laughed out, "but he probably
won't be all over you. I think Nick's more his type."
"Great." Brian said, less than enthusiastically. "How do you know so
many gay guys?"
"I don't know. They all just seem to choose me to come out to." Ewan
joked, suddenly realizing that he slipped again. He kicked himself mentally
for his choice of words, and looked over at Nick, who was gently shaking his
head.
"Maybe you show up on their gaydar and they tell you cause you're so
damn irresistible."
Just then the limousine came to a stop.
"You're lucky we're here, or I'd have to beat you for that comment.
Just for that, I may just tell Micah you're interested in him too." Ewan
said, as the driver opened the door.
Ewan stepped out of the limousine and stretched. He was followed by
Brian, and then Nick.
"Nice." Nick said enthusiastically, as he stood looking at Ewan's
fraternity house.
"So he speaks." Ewan said, and put an arm around Nick's neck.
Nick blushed at Ewan's comment. "Sorry." Nick said, as he looked
past Ewan, at Brian who was still gawking at the mansion before him.
Ewan turned around, following Nick's gaze. He could almost feel the
pain and longing Nick harbored within.
"Hey Brian, stop staring. It ain't going anywhere. Why don't you go
ahead inside and check it out. The guys won't be back till later. We'll
bring the luggage in."
Brian grinned at Ewan, and like a kid, ran to the open door and
inside. Ewan laughed at Brian's eagerness, and turned back towards Nick,
who was also smiling at Brian's excitement.
"He's worse than you sometimes." Ewan said, shaking his head in
disbelief.
"Shutup." Nick said, and rolled his eyes. He walked towards the back
of the limousine, followed by Ewan, and they both helped the driver unload
their small suitcases and backpacks.
"Would you like me to help you bring these in Mr. Carter?" The driver
asked.
"It's alright. I think we can handle it. Thanks for your help."
"Will you be needing my services anymore tonight?"
"No. We're good. Thanks."
Ewan helped Nick with the luggage, as they walked towards the house.
"I'm sorry about earlier. I wasn't really thinking when I said that stuff
in the car."
"It's alright. It was kinda ironic and funny at the same time. If it
didn't hurt so much, I'd have laughed. Besides, I don't think Brian caught
on, so it's all good."
"So you haven't told him then?"
Nick stopped, looked directly at Ewan with pain filled eyes, and shook
his head apologetically.
"What happened? I thought you said you were ready to tell him?"
"I was...I mean, I am...It's just..." Nick stammered out when they
heard a commotion come from inside the house.
"Oh my god...Oh My GOD...OH MY GOD!!! It's you!!!"
"Oh shit. I think Micah just found Brian" Ewan snickered. "Let's go
save him before he gets his clothes torn off."
"Well it wouldn't be the first time." Nick joked.
"Well, it'd be the first time a guy was ripping his clothes off.
Don't think you're off the hook...we'll talk later." Ewan said, and Nick
nodded. They ran into the house, hoping Brian was still in one piece.
"Micah...breathe Micah...breath..." Ewan said, as he ran towards his
friend and tried to calm him down.
"He's here!!!" Micah stammered out.
"Yes, I know, but you're gonna have to calm down if you want him to
stay. You don't want to scare him away, now do you?"
Micah shook his head. "No, but you weren't supposed to be here for
another hour. I'm not dressed, and the cookies..." Micah started to
explain.
"It's okay, just go change, and finish the cookies. Then, you can
come see him later, okay???" Micah shook his head, and left the room in
disbelief.
Ewan turned to Brian, who still had this stunned/amazed look on his
face.
"He's not usually like that. He's cool." Ewan laughed out and walked
over to Brian. "I'm not sure, and correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think
he likes you Bri."
Brian slapped Ewan's arm and looked at him directly. "That's so not
funny. I thought he was gonna jump me or something."
"Yeah. He probably would have too if we didn't come in. You
should've seen the look on Brian's face Ewe; it was like a rat in a trap.
It was priceless. I thought you were gonna pee your pants."
"I hate you two. I'm glad you find this so funny." Brian said,
sternly, but unable to hide his true emotions when a slight smile crossed
his lips.
They were all laughing when Ewan spoke.
"Okay. You guys should get settled in, or rather, Brian you should
hide before Micah gets back."
"Nick, you mind if I take him up to the room, while you bring up the
bags, and then I'll be down to help you???"
"Yeah. That's cool. I'll bring 'em in here, and then up the stairs.
Just get Brian outta here before he goes into shock." Nick joked and ran
out the door, just as Brian was about to swat him.
"C'mon. My room's upstairs."
******
"Yo JAG...you in here???" Ewan yelled into the room, and led Brian
in.
"Yeah. I'll be out in a sec." A muffled voice came from behind one
of the doors in the room.
"He's probably taking a shower." Ewan said, just as the door opened,
and a handsome blonde walked out with just a towel wrapped around his waist.
His hair was still damp as rivulets of water clung to his chiseled body
and rolled down.
"Hey...you're mom...Oh shit, I forgot we had company. My bad. I'm
Jim, Ewan's roommate." The blonde said slightly embarrassed.
"Brian. Nice to meet you. Ewan's said a lot of nice things about
you." Brian politely said with a smile.
"Somehow, I highly doubt that." Jim said jokingly. "Remember, I live
with him, and I know exactly how nice he can be."
Brian laughed at his comment. "You're right. I was just being
polite...you know us Southern boys." Brian said, this time causing Jim to
laugh.
"Great. Now I have two of you to deal with."
"I thought you said there were two of them. Where's the other one?"
Jim asked
"Shit. I forgot. Nick's still bringing the stuff in. You two stay
here. I'll be right back." Ewan said as he ran out of the room.
"I'll be right back. I'm just gonna get dressed. No sense in meeting
your other friend half naked." Jim said, and went back into the bathroom.
"Where's Jim?" Ewan asked as he walked into the room with Nick.
"He's getting dressed. He didn't want Nick to see him naked."
"Somehow I doubt that." Ewan joked.
Nick dropped the bags he was carrying, and looked around the spacious
room.
"Nice room Ewe. Pretty big too."
"Yeah. It used to be a quad, but since Jim and I are upperclassmen,
we decided that it'd be used only as a double, since we had room in the
house anyways."
"Cool. You have a Playstation too. Sweet."
"I thought you'd like that. I had to get one after I toured with you
guys. I was suffering from withdrawal, so I broke down and got one." Ewan
said, causing Nick to smile.
"I'm gonna go run down and get the rest of the stuff. I'll be right
back." Nick said.
"You need any help?" Brian asked.
"Naw, it's cool. There's not much left. I think I can get it in one
trip." Nick said, as he left the room.
Jim walked out of the bathroom, fully clothed this time, but with his
hair disheveled.
"I ran out of gel. Can I use yours, Obi?" Jim asked.
"Yeah. Just don't use all of it like you did the last time."
"It was one time...and for a good cause I might add."
"I don't consider you going out on a date with the hot guy from your
chemistry class a good cause." Ewan joked.
"Shutup. You're just jealous I get more action than you do."
"Not really cause the only other place that sees more action than you
do is a McDonald's drive thru. What's your slogan say now JAG, over a
million served???"
"Fuck you. Just for that I am gonna use all your gel." Brian sat on
the bed giggling to himself, as he watched their exchange.
"Where's the other one? I thought I heard his voice." Jim asked.
"He's downstairs. He'll be up in a sec."
"Cool. We still on for tonight?"
"Hells yeah. This party should be awesome." Ewan answered.
"Yeah. I think the guys said that as soon as their done with the
pledges, they're heading over to the party." Jim said, and walked back into
the bathroom.
"Cool."
"Here. There's one more downstairs, I'll bring it up." Nick said,
walking back into the room. He placed the bags near the end of the bed,
passing the bathroom. As he walked by, he noticed that someone was fixing
his hair in the mirror.
"Hey." Nick called into the bathroom.
"Hey. What's up? I'll be right out, just need to finish my hair."
Jim answered, without looking away from his reflection.
"Cool." Nick answered. "I'll be right back." He said, as he walked
back out of the room.
"There...done." Jim said, as he walked into the room. "Hey. Where'd
the other guy go?"
"He's downstairs getting the rest of the stuff." Ewan answered.
"What kind of a host are you???" Jim said, as he slapped Ewan's arm.
"Why are you making your guests carry their luggage up and down the stairs?
These are famous pop stars we have staying with us, and they're used to
being serviced." Jim joked, as he plopped down on his bed.
"Yeah...I bet you'd like to service them." Ewan joked, and ducked
away from the flying object Jim threw.
Brian was laughing uncontrollably, to the point of tears, as he
watched the two of them. He had to duck at an incoming object, as Ewan
returned fire. This time, he made a direct hit on Jim's head, messing up his
hair.
"Score!!!" Ewan screamed.
"You ass. Now I have to do my hair again."
"No...you love my ass!!!" Ewan said, and was met by the slamming
bathroom door.
"You guys are way too much."
"Yeah, Jim's like a brother to me." Ewan said with a sigh, as he sat
on top of his desk.
"There. That's the last of it." Nick said, throwing a backpack at
Brian, and flopping on the bed. "Why do you have to live all the way up on
the third floor? It's such a bitch to climb up all those frickin' stairs."
Nick complained, trying to catch his breath.
"It ain't my fault you're out of shape."
"If I wasn't so tired, I'd hit you right now."
"Like I said...it's not my fault you're out of shape." Ewan repeated,
causing Brian to laugh.
"Anyway...where's the bathroom around here?" Nick asked.
"Well, Jim's in our bathroom fixing his hair again, so you can use the
main one down the hall if you want."
"Alright. I'll be right back."
(A few minutes later)
"There. Done. I swear, god help you if you fuck with my hair again."
Jim said as he fell back down onto his bed.
"Damn Ewe, this place is huge!!! I almost got lost going to..." Nick
said as he walked back into the room, but cut off his sentence in mid
thought when he heard someone speak.
"JAKE?!?" Jim said, surprise and disbelief on his face when he
finally saw Nick in person.
Nick recognized the voice and turned around in confusion. He met
Jim's gaze, and fought to keep the shocked expression off of his face.
"No...I told you the other guys name is Nick. Did you forget to take
your smart pills again this morning?" Ewan joked, as he jumped off of where
he was sitting on top of his desk.
"Jim, this is Nick. Nick, this is my roommate Jim." Ewan properly
introduced the two stunned friends.
"Hi...I'm NICK." Nick said, emphasizing his name, hoping Jim would
catch on. "Nice to finally meet you."
Ewan looked at Nick questioning his odd behavior. He switched from
the petrified look on Nick's face, to the confused one on Jim's. He ruffled
his brow in wonder, but let it drop when Jim spoke.
"Likewise." He said, as he accepted Nick's outstretched hand. He
continued to shake it, while studying Nick. As a consequence, Nick
uncomfortably withdrew his hand, embarrassed at the scrutinizing stare Jim
was giving him.
Nick looked over at Brian, and then to Ewan. He was satisfied that
Brian hadn't picked up on the awkwardness between them, but he knew from the
look on Ewan's face that he was going to have to do some explaining later.
The room had grown silent, as each one of them retreated to their own
thoughts.
"Hey, did you say something about my mom calling?" Ewan asked Jim,
finally breaking the silence caused by Jim and Nick's reunion.
"Who me?" Jim asked, still inspecting Nick, as if he were a specimen
under a microscope.
"No. I was asking my other roommate. Yes...Of course you. Are you
alright?"
"Yeah. I was just rendered speechless by your friend NICK'S stunning
good looks." Jim said with a smile, causing Nick's embarrassment to
skyrocket. To everyone's amusement, he blushed a deep shade of red.
Ewan let out a small laugh, and was satisfied that his roommate had
returned to normal. "Nicky? Good Looks? I thought you said Brian was the
cute one."
This time Brian was the one blushing, as everyone laughed at Ewan's
comment.
"This is gonna be fun." Jim said. "They blush way too easily." He
said, as he sat on Brian's lap, and put his arms around his neck, causing
Brian to blush once again. "See, I told you."
"Yup. They're already used to me, so I don't have that effect on them
anymore, but you should have fun with them. Just be sure that Brian doesn't
pass out from all the blood rushing into his head." Ewan said, causing Nick
and Jim to giggle endlessly.
"Oh...figures you two would think that way. Get your minds out of the
gutter." Ewan said, slapping Nick in the arm.
"What? I don't get it." Brian commented, sending everyone into
full-fledged fits of laughter.
"What's so funny?" Brian asked once again.
"Awww...He's cute and innocent." Jim said, pinching Brian's cheeks.
"Never mind...You don't want to know." Ewan said, as Brian shrugged
his shoulders in defeat. "And don't mind Jim. It takes some time to get
used to his odd personality."
"Well, if we got used to your weird one, I'm sure getting used to
Jim's odd one won't be that hard." Brian remarked, and was hit by a pillow
Ewan sent flying at him. Jim jumped out from Brian's lap, knowing Ewan was
going to hurl the object across the room, even before he picked it up.
"Hey, I thought you liked me." Brian joked, as he sat back up on the
bed.
"I do...but I care more about my hair." Jim joked, causing everyone
to laugh. "Oh, so yeah, your mother called. She wants you to call her
back. She said something about leaving for the weekend tomorrow, and
something about your birthday, I think. I wasn't really paying attention."
"Thanks. See guys, it isn't just me who finds what my parents have to
say uninteresting." Ewan said to Nick and Brian. He walked over to the
phone, and dialed a few numbers. "Just give me a sec to get this over
with."
"Have you met his parents?" Brian asked Jim.
"Yeah, a few times." Jim said, as he heard Ewan start talking in the
background.
"What do you think?"
"They're okay. Ewan can't stand them, but they're a lot like my
parents, so I'm used to being questioned about my actions half the time and
ignored the other half."
"That's sad. I only met them once, a while back when we were in New
York for our last tour. They seemed really nice though. I never understood
why Ewan never got along with them."
"That's cause you're not Ewan, or me. We have to deal with the bubble
our parent's live in. I don't mind it as much, but I know Ewan hates it."
Brian was about to speak, when Ewan's voice caught everyone's
attention.
"No Mother, I'm not doing this on purpose. I'm not missing the
engagement party just cause I don't want to go. I really do have exams that
weekend." Ewan said, followed by a pause. "NO. There's no way around it.
End of discussion." Again there was a pause. "I'm not yelling at
you...we've had this discussion before. What does it matter if I'm there or
not, anyway?...I'm not being difficult...you're the one being difficult."
Ewan said, and rolled his eyes, as the others watched him endure the painful
conversation.
Ewan's telephone conversation went on for a few more minutes, and from
time to time, he'd lose interest and watch what the others were doing. He
noticed that Nick was keeping his distance, and that even though Brian and
Jim were engrossed in conversation, Jim would throw slight glances Nick's
way. In turn, Ewan watched Nick do the same thing, and when their eyes did
meet, Ewan noticed Nick was all too quick in finding something else to look
at.
Ewan saw the apprehension on Nick's face. When they made eye contact,
Ewan mouthed the words, "What's wrong?" Nick shook his head, and mouthed
back, "I'll tell you later." Ewan followed his gaze, and made sure his
roommate missed their little exchange. The gears in Ewan's mind began to
turn, as he grew more and more confused as to what was going on with Nick.
His thoughts were disturbed, when he was brought back to the reality by his
mother's overbearing voice.
"I'm sorry Mother...what did you say?" Ewan reluctantly said into the
telephone. From experience he knew what would come next and also that if he
hoped to end the telephone conversation any time soon, he'd have to sit
through his mother's lecture.
After a few moments of silence on Ewan's end, he spoke up. "I'm sorry
Mother. I was just caught off guard...I always listen...I'll think about
it...okay bye...enjoy the trip. I love you." Ewan finished
unenthusiastically, but the only answer he received was the dial tone on the
other end.
Everyone looked in his direction when they heard him slam the phone
down.
"I swear. Why can't I have normal parents? You know, the ones who
send cards on your birthday and on holidays. Maybe ones that are actually
happy to hear from you after being away for so long? Is that too much to
ask??? I swear that woman can't just call to wish me a Happy Birthday. She
has to yell at me, and then wish me a Happy Birthday, like after hearing her
lecture me, I'm really gonna have a good birthday. C'mon...is it just
me???" Ewan complained to everyone's amusement.
"Never mind...nobody answer. I'm determined to have a fuckin' awesome
birthday just to spite them!!!"
"Like everything you do isn't to spite them." Jim joked.
"Yes, but this will be me extra spiting them." Ewan laughed out loud,
and shook his head in disbelief. "I need to take a walk. I need some air.
Jim, call up Michaelangelo's and order some pizza. Nick's gonna come with
me to go get them." Ewan said, throwing Nick a sly smile. Jim complied,
and started to dial the telephone number from memory.
"You want me to come with you guys?" Brian asked.
"Naw it's cool. You two look like you're hitting it off. Besides,
Nick needs the exercise." Ewan joked, and slung his arm over Nick's
shoulders.
******
A.J. hummed a tune to himself, as he walked down the empty hallway of
the hotel they were staying in. He was carrying a white pastry box with the
familiar red and white string neatly tied around it. As he approached the
door, he gave it a slight knock. He put on a huge grin in anticipation of
seeing Kevin.
"Who is it?" A.J. heard Kevin say from inside.
"Delivery."
"I'll be right there"
Kevin stood from the comfort of his bed and walked towards the door,
wondering what was being delivered, because he hadn't ordered anything.
Without thinking, he opened the door, and was greeted by A.J.'s toothy grin.
"Oh...it's only you." Kevin said disappointedly. "What do you want?"
"Hi Kevin. How are you?" A.J. said, his voice filled with pep that
would rival a cheerleader's.
"Go away." Kevin answered, and started to close the door.
A.J., anticipating Kevin's reaction, was quick to respond, and stuck
is foot, followed by his body, between the door. To Kevin's displeasure, he
managed to squeeze himself into the room.
"I brought you something." A.J. said, as Kevin looked at him
disapprovingly. He continued to walk into the room, followed by Kevin.
"What is it?"
"It's a peace offering for ditching you the other day." A.J. said
semi-seriously. "It's your favorite. I brought you cheesecake."
"I hate cheesecake." Kevin said monotonously, as he returned to the
laying position he was in, before A.J. interrupted him. As he laid there,
he mindlessly flipped through the channels on the television, using the
remote control.
"What are you talking about?" A.J. asked, as he took the cheesecake
out of the box. "You love cheesecake."
"No I don't. I hate it. Howie loves cheesecake. I like Chocolate
Mouse." Kevin said, not bothering to look at A.J.
"Oh." A.J. said bewildered. "Well, I like cheesecake." He said, as
he cut himself a slice, and put it on a plate that was in the room.
"Figures."
"What?" A.J. said, as he sat on the bed next to Kevin.
"First you ditch me, and then you can't even get my favorite dessert
right."
"I really thought it was cheesecake. I'm sorry. I'll get you some
chocolate mousse later." A.J. said, as he ate a forkful of the dessert.
"Whatever."
"Anyway...When are you gonna stop being mad?"
"When I feel like it."
"Oh okay. Just asking. You're freakin' Brian and Nick out though."
A.J. said, as he continued to eat.
"Good."
"You're such a bitch sometimes."
"You're such a fairy sometimes."
"Ouch. Harsh." A.J. said, feinting hurt, but smiling all the while.
Kevin looked over, only to find A.J. shoveling another forkful of cheesecake
in his mouth.
"Speaking of fairies, have you talked to Nick lately?"
"No. Why? Should I have?"
"No. I was just wondering."
"Just say it. I know you came in here to talk, so just talk. I'm not
in the mood to play games right now."
A.J. looked at Kevin with a slight hint of confusion on his face. He
wondered whether or not Kevin really wanted to hear him talk, but he needed
to talk to someone, so he decided to go on.
"I don't get it. I've done and said everything I can think of to get
Nick to come out, but he still hasn't. I think I've made it perfectly clear
that I'm cool with him being gay, but he still hasn't said anything. Is it
me, or is that boy really dense?"
"Of course you'd be cool with him being gay...you are gay too aren't
you?"
"Yes, but he doesn't know that."
"Then just tell him and get it over with." Kevin snipped at A.J. once
again. "Just tell him you're gay, and that you saw him kissing another guy,
and you wanted to know what was up, and then just see what he says from
there. It's not that hard."
"Will you do it for me?" A.J. asked.
"No. I won't do it for you."
"Why not?"
"Cause, I'm fine with him being gay and in the closet...that's if he's
even gay. We already don't talk much anymore. Like I really need him to
cut me off all together. No thanks. Plus, you're the one who obviously has
issues with being in the closet, and with Nick being in there with you. You
of all people should know what it's like coming to terms with the whole
thing. I don't get why you're trying to force him."
"Cause I don't want to be alone anymore." A.J. plainly said.
His words immediately got Kevin's attention and he muted the
television. He turned around to face A.J.
"You wanna get with Nick?"
"No. I didn't say that!" A.J. said in shock as Kevin caught him off
guard. "Although, I can't say that the thought hasn't crossed my mind...but
that's not my point."
"So what is your point?"
"I just told you. I'm sick and tired of being alone. I want somebody
to talk to." A.J. said, looking at the floor.
"What are you talking about? You talk to me all the time about being
gay."
"It's not the same. I can talk to you, but Nick can relate. You're
not gay, so you don't understand. I want a gay friend. I want Nick to be
my gay friend. I want to be surrounded by my people!!!" A.J. said
jokingly, but his voice filled with frustration.
"So, come out to everyone. That won't guarantee Nick will come out
too, but at least then he may come and talk to you. You can't force him to
come out. He'll do it when he's ready, just like you." Kevin said
sympathetically.
A.J. thought to himself for a few minutes. He continued to play with
the piece of cake in front of him, as he contemplated whether or not he was
ready to come out. Kevin could see the concentration on A.J.'s face, and
knew this wasn't an easy decision.
"Who knows...if you come out, and Nick doesn't, maybe Howie or Brian
will come out to you." Kevin joked.
"Shutup." A.J. said, his interest peaking at Kevin's words. "One of
them are gay, and you didn't tell me???" A.J. said in shock.
"No. I don't know. Maybe. I was just trying to make you see the
humor in the situation."
"I don't find this situation very humorous."
"I know...I know...I just couldn't help myself."
"Whatever." A.J. said, and went back to playing with his food.
"So, are you gonna do it?" Kevin asked excitedly, as he's waited for
this moment for so long. He was both scared and excited for his friend, but
knew all along that A.J. needed to tell everyone.
A.J. looked directly at Kevin, and didn't say a word. He nodded in
the affirmative and watched as a smile came onto Kevin's face.
"Well, at least I know you're happy about this." A.J. said
broodingly.
Kevin stood up, and pulled a chair in front of A.J., and sat down. He
looked his friend in the eye, and spoke from his heart. "No matter what
happens, I'll be here for you, just as I've always been."
"Thanks." A.J. said, and leaned in to hug Kevin.
"Just don't forget me when you're surrounded by your 'people.'" Kevin
responded, as he broke away from A.J. Kevin saw a smile appear on his face,
and was happy for him. "So when are you gonna tell everyone?"
"Tomorrow, I guess. I just don't know how to tell everyone."
"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. All you have to do is
say... 'Hi, I'm A.J. and I'm a homosexual.' And then we'll respond, 'Hi,
A.J.'" Kevin joked again, this time earning a slap on the knee from A.J.
"I'm coming out...not telling everyone that I'm an alcoholic. So how
we gonna do this."
"Leave that to me." Kevin said, as he stood up and walked over to the
telephone.
******
"Thanks Sam. Don't forget about tomorrow. I wanna see you there."
Ewan said, as he and Nick grabbed the pizza boxes.
"For you Ewan, anything. I wouldn't miss your birthday party for the
world. I think the whole campus knows about the party by now." Samson
said, as he finished ringing up Ewan's order.
"I don't care about the whole campus. Just make sure I see your ass
at the club tomorrow."
"Someone's the "Big Man on Campus." Nick commented as they started to
walk back towards the fraternity house.
"Well...what can I say? I'm a pretty lovable guy."
"Oh, and don't forget modest too."
Ewan let out a small laugh at Nick's comment. "Naw, it's just what
happens when you're in a fraternity known for throwing kick ass parties.
That, and for some odd reason, all the parties that center around me end up
turning into an orgy."
"Somehow, I can believe that."
"Yeah, but even with the title...I'm still all alone." Ewan said.
They fell into a silence as they continued to walk.
Nick's thoughts centered on Ewan's comment, as he thought about his
situation. All of a sudden, his thoughts shifted towards Ewan and Jim. He
replayed the conversation he had with Jim back in New York. Finally, he
connected the "roommate" Jim spoke of, to Ewan. He now carried with him the
knowledge of Jim's secret love for his best friend. He wondered if his
world could get any more fucked up. He was convinced someone out there
enjoyed toying with him.
"So...we gonna talk?" Ewan asked, breaking the silence between them.
"Sure...why not." Nick said in frustration.
"I take it you haven't told Brian yet?"
"No." Nick answered simply, without breaking his stride.
"Why? I thought you said you were finally ready to tell him."
"I was...I mean...I still am...but..."
"But what?"
"I was gonna tell him when we got back from Disney. It was all set,
and everything was perfect..."
"So what's the problem?"
"I had this dream."
"A dream?"
"Yeah..." Nick paused as he thought to himself. "...A dream." From
the tone in his voice, Ewan knew something was wrong. He knew of the storm
that was brewing within his young friend's heart, so he waited for him to
speak again. "Have you ever had a dream where it just seemed so real...you
thought it was actually happening? Where you could hear everything clearly
and feel everything around you...feel every emotion?"
Rather than answering Nick's question, Ewan stayed silent, hoping Nick
would continue.
Nick stopped suddenly. Ewan watched as Nick stared into the distance
of the street they were walking on, and then as Nick turned to face him.
Silently, Ewan stared into Nick's eyes, but somehow knew Nick wasn't looking
back. He stared past Ewan, maybe even through him, perhaps losing himself
once again in his dream.
'He seems so lost.' Ewan thought to himself.
"It seemed so real."
"The dream Brian was talking about." Ewan said, as he realized what
Nick was speaking of.
"Yeah." Nick responded, still staring off into the distance. They
returned to their walk back to the house.
"It was so real." Nick would say over and over as they walked, a
stronger sense of anger and urgency behind each repetition. "It was so
perfect." Nick muttered, as he kicked the ground in front of him. "It was
so perfect." He repeated, frustration, pain, and disappointment filling his
voice.
"Was it that bad?"
"NO...Just the opposite...It was the best dream I've ever had...It was
perfect! No...It was beyond perfection...it was pure love."
"What was it about?" Ewan hesitantly asked, as his curiosity got the
best of him. His question caused Nick to stop and look at him. Nick's eyes
looked intensely at Ewan. For the first time throughout their entire
friendship, Ewan saw so much pain and confusion in those eyes. The crystal
blue ocean that usually shone within the boy was now a murky swamp of
emotional disorder.
After taking a breath, Nick started to recount his dream. His voice
wavered at some points, but Ewan noticed the excitement that only love could
cause in his friend's eyes during certain points. As Nick went along, Ewan
began to understand why Nick had been so frustrated earlier. Ewan listened
as Nick described the perfect outcome to his coming out. He cursed fate for
putting Nick through this ordeal. The dream seemed more like a slap in the
face for his best friend.
"...and then we made love. It wasn't just sex, Ewe...Brian and I made
love. I could feel his hands on me, taste his lips, and...and I felt
safe...I felt like I was home."
"Wow." Ewan said in amazement, but Nick could pick up the slight hint
of sadness in his words.
"Yeah." Nick said, followed by a pause. Then I heard him call my
name...and I woke up. I still thought all of that actually happened, until
I asked Brian what he remembered from the day before, and then I realized it
was all just a dream." Nick finished with disappointment. "It was a
fucking dream."
******
"So, how did you guys end up with Ewan?" Jim asked as he opened
another beer and handed it to Brian.
"Don't you mean how did Ewan end up with us?" Brian asked jokingly.
"It's a funny story actually."
"If it involves Ewan, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be less than
interesting. If it were, I'd be surprised." Jim said, taking a sip from
his beer, and sitting down across from Brian. "Just please don't tell me he
won some contest from a local radio station, who gave him some tickets and
backstage passes, and then one of you guys fell in love with him, and then
gave him a job so that he wouldn't be away from the one he loved."
"Huh?" Brian asked in confusion.
"Never mind...I just read too much I guess. So tell me the story."
"Well, we were on a flight to New York, and since there's five of us,
Nick ended up sitting by himself. We usually buy six seats on the plane, so
that who ever had to sit by himself, doesn't have to deal with having a fan
sit next to him."
"Lemme guess, that didn't stop Ewan?" Jim asked laughing.
"Nope."
"Figures." Jim quipped, causing Brian to laugh. "Ewan was never one
to live by the rules."
"Nick was sitting in back of the four of us, so we didn't' really see
what happened. Nick tells us that he fell asleep, and when he woke up, Ewan
was there sleeping in his lap."
"What?!?"
"No joke. Apparently, Ewan recognized Nick, and decided to sit next
to him, until he woke up."
"That takes balls."
"Yeah, but stranger things have happened, especially when Ewan's
around. Kevin, my cousin who's in the band too, went nuts when Ewan first
toured with us."
"Wait...So what did Nick do?"
"What could he do? He denies it, but when Ewan tells this story, he
says that the reason why he woke up from his nap on Nick's lap was because
Nick started to freak out."
"Holy Shit."
"I know. Well, long story short, after Ewan calmed Nick down...Well,
this is what they both say...I was knocked out on meds cause I hate flying,
so I don't know what else happened...he and Nick hit it off really well. It
turns out, Ewan's lil' sis is a big fan, and when he saw Nick sitting by
himself, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to get an autograph from his
sister's favorite BackStreet Boy. They kept in touch I guess, and the next
thing we knew, Nick invited Ewan to tour with us.
"I'll never forget it. The first day Ewan was with us, I woke up the
next morning to find that the two of them thought it would be funny to
freeze all of my underwear the night before. I had to go commando that
day." Brian said laughing and shaking his head in disbelief, as the memory
flooded over him.
"Later, he told me that that was his way of saying that he wanted to
be my friend. I thought he was just plain weird after that, but as I got to
know him more, he's become one of my best friends."
"That's so classic Ewan though. At first I thought he did those
things cause he needed the attention, then I realized he was just weird like
that." Jim said.
"Yeah, but he's a really good friend though."
"That I agree with." Jim said raising his beer bottle and toasting it
with Brian's.
******
"So explain this to me again. Why haven't you told Brian yet?" Ewan
asked as they continued their walk.
"I wanted to...really bad, but I just couldn't find the right time to
do it. The next day we were just running all over the place, and then Kevin
was mad and acting all weird, and then we had to take the flight here. It
was all non-stop till now. That, and the dream. I think it's all a sign.
I'm just not meant to be with Brian. I should just accept that fact."
"Oh shut up. You don't even know that. You haven't even given it a
chance, and now you're giving up on it? I don't think so. You've put
yourself through this much, you might as well see it through." Ewan said,
as Nick just listened.
"What I still don't get is the dream. Isn't that a good sign? I
mean, if you had such a vivid dream where it all worked out, shouldn't you
at least try and make it come true?" Ewan asked, trying to work through his
confusion.
"No. It's just the opposite."
"No...it's just you stalling, Nick."
"Seriously dude, I'm not stalling. I really do want to tell Brian."
"So...what are you waiting for then?"
"I don't know. Every part of me wants to tell him, but every time I
get the balls to do it, something happens to stop me."
"No, you just let it stop you."
Nick thought about Ewan's words and knew he was right.
"What's stopping you, Nick?"
"I don't know. I just have these doubts, and I'm worried that he's
not gonna take it well, and I'd rather just leave things the way they are,
so that I don't mess anything up."
"So you'd rather stay miserable. Is that how it is?"
"No. It's just I don't want to fuck up what Brian and me have right
now."
"What do you have? You two are best friends, and because you're best
friends, you telling him isn't gonna fuck anything up."
"How do you know?"
"I don't know. You just have to trust Brian, and trust that your
friendship with him is strong enough to tell him how you feel. That's all
I'm saying...that's all I've been saying. You keep running around in
circles, and until you tell him, you're still just gonna be running around
in a circle.
"It's like a hamster in a wheel. He keeps running, but still ends up
in the same spot all the time. Eventually, he's either gonna get tired, or
get smart enough to know that it's time to get off."
"Lemme guess...that hamster is me?"
"You got it."
"But the dream..." Nick started to say, but was cut off by Ewan.
"What about the dream? From what you tell me, it was a good dream.
It's your subconscious telling you that you need to tell him now."
"I can't. The dream tells me the opposite. Every dream I have, the
opposite happens, and I know this isn't going to be the exception."
"You don't know that. You can't base every decision you make on what
happened to you in the past. It's not always the same thing, or the same
situation. There are always different factors involved. If it seems like
things are just repeating itself, then it's just coincidence."
"I don't think so. Ever since I could remember, it's just been that
way, and I know it always will be that way. I've come to accept that. It's
just the way my fucked up life goes. Nothing good ever happens. There's
always something waiting to ruin what happiness I may have."
"I can't believe you're talking like this. Why are you being so
skeptical? You're a frickin' pop star who gets to tour the world doing what
you love most! Good things happen to you because you make them happen. It's
all up to you and not some imaginary person out there who you think rules
your life. It's all in the attitude you have."
"That's easy for you to say."
"No, it's not. You know how long it took me to realize that? You
know about all the shit I went through just to be able to come to that
conclusion. Fate, hope, destiny, signs...all that means nothing. It's all
an illusion that people choose to believe in."
They walked in silence once again, as Nick contemplated Ewan's words.
"Look, all I'm saying is that you've spent all of this time worrying
and mapping out all of the possible outcomes of you coming out, and telling
Brian that you love him. As far as I'm concerned, you've prepared for every
possible scenario, and now you have no other option but to tell him and see
what happens.
"I don't mean to pressure you or anything, but I hate seeing you all
miserable and tortured like this. You need to tell him. You won't be happy
until you do. You need to know either way."
"That's the part I don't like. I'd rather just not know, and play it
safe."
"Unbelievable." Ewan said somewhat agitated. "You just tell yourself
that, but all you'll end up with is regret."
"I'll regret it if I do tell him, and he rejects me totally both as a
friend and as a boyfriend."
"Well...that's why you need to tell him. You need answers to your
questions. You need to tell Brian, so that you know whether or not you need
to move on. You owe yourself that much."
"Fine." Nick said, finally giving in. "How about I take it one step
at a time. I'll come out to everyone first and then see what Brian has to
say afterwards. What do you think?" Nick stopped and looked directly at
Ewan after he said that.
"What do I think??? I think finally I may have gotten through to
you!!!" Ewan said excitedly. "That's a good plan. So, when are you gonna
do it?"
"I don't know. I guess when we all get together or something." Nick
said, just as his cell phone started to ring. "Hold on a sec." Nick said,
as he put the pizza box he was holding on top of the ones in Ewan's hands.
He took out his cell phone and checked the caller I.D. Kevin's name was
flashing across the screen, as he reluctantly answered the call.
"What's up Kev?"
"Nothing much. Just calling to tell you that we have a meeting
tomorrow around two. It's mandatory, so no ditching."
"I said I was sorry about the other..." Nick tried to apologize, but
was cut off.
"Yeah...yeah...whatever. Just make sure you and Brian are here for
the meeting."
"Where is it?"
"It'll be here in my room. It's a group meeting." Kevin said
authoritatively.
Nick's attention was piqued when he heard Kevin say that it was a
group meeting. They only had "group meetings" when someone in the group
called them to discuss personal issues within the group. Nick began to
worry.
"Group meeting? Who called it? What about?" Nick said worriedly
into his cell phone.
"Yes, group meeting. A.J. called it, and you'll have to wait till
tomorrow to find out what it's about."
"A.J.?" Nick questioned. "Do you know what it's about?"
"Yes, but I can't tell you right now. You'll just have to wait until
tomorrow for A.J. to tell you guys."
"Is it serious?" Nick asked, trying to get more information from
Kevin.
"Just make sure you guys are here for it. That's all I'm saying. I'm
just the messenger this time." Kevin said plainly, letting Nick know he
wasn't going into any more detail.
Nick looked at Ewan in time to see him mouth the words "what's wrong?"
"Can Ewan come along?" Nick asked Kevin, still looking at Ewan, who
had a confused look on his face.
"Hold on. Let me see." Kevin said, as he covered the telephone on
his end and talked to A.J. "Yeah, bring Ewan along. A.J. says it's cool."
"Alright. We'll see you guys tomorrow then."
"Yeah. Don't forget. Two o'clock sharp, and make sure you tell Brian
about it too."
"Yup. I will. Don't worry. I'll talk to you later, Kev. Bye."
Nick said, and flipped his cell phone closed.
"What was that about?" Ewan immediately asked, as soon as Nick put
away his cell phone.
"Group meeting, and you're coming along." Nick simply said, as he
took back the pizza box he was carrying earlier.
"Kevin didn't say what for?" Ewan inquired.
"Nope. He only said that A.J. was the one who called it. That's it."
"Hmmmm."
"What?"
"I was just thinking...since you just said you'd tell everyone once we
all got together..." Ewan said, and didn't even need to finish his sentence.
Nick knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Tomorrow?" Nick asked, suddenly feeling nervous.
"Why not? Just tell everyone before the meeting starts. That's what
group meetings are for aren't they?"
"Yeah, but I don't know." Nick hesitantly said. He didn't think it
would happen this soon.
"C'mon, you just said so yourself. You want to wait for the next time
everyone gets together, and tomorrow's meeting is it. It's perfect. It'll
be fine. Trust me. I'll be there if you need me." Ewan said, staring
straight into Nick.
"Alright. Fine. I'll do it, as long as you're there."
"I wouldn't miss this for the world." Ewan said with a smile, as they
started walking again.
"I'm glad you find this so amusing." Nick joked.
"It'll be fine. Trust me..." Ewan said with a devilish smile on his
face, which Nick never saw. They continued to walk a few more blocks and
turned onto Fraternity row. Ewan stopped, and turned to look at Nick again.
Nick saw that Ewan had more questions brewing within him, and grew
worried.
"What?" Nick asked.
"What's up with you and Jim? I know the two of you really well, and
it just seemed like the both of you were acting all weird around each other.
It felt like you were uncomfortable to be around him."
"Yeah...Well...That's another part of my fucked up life. Do you
remember when we were in New York, and I told you about this guy I almost
had sex with?"
"Yeah." Ewan answered, trying to read the expression on Nick's face.
"Well, that guy I hooked up with is your roommate." Nick said
plainly, waiting for Ewan's reaction.
"You're kidding right? You hooked up with Jim?"
Nick didn't answer, but silently nodded.
"HOLY SHIT!!! You touched his winky!!!" Ewan said, and then burst
out into laughter.
"You know. I'm so glad you find all of this so humorous. My life's a
mess, and you're just laughing at me. Why am I friends with you again?"
"I can't believe this. This is way too much." Ewan said, after
regaining his composure from his laughing fit. "I guess now it all makes
sense. He said he hooked up with a Jake back in New York, and when he got
back, he was looking through the booklet in the new album you sent me, and
said the guy looked like you. I thought it was just a coincidence that
'Jake' was the fake name you use when you travel. It all makes perfect
sense now." Ewan said, but unable to control his laughter, broke down once
again.
"I hate you...you know that? I really do." Nick said, this time
succumbing to Ewan's contagious laughter.
"Only you, Nick. This shit only happens to you."
"You see what I mean now? Someone out there really enjoys fucking
with me!!!" Nick said, looking up at the sky.
"You two should straighten it out so that it isn't uncomfortable for
either of you this weekend." Ewan said in a serious tone.
"Yeah. I will. Once we get back, I'll talk to him."
"Good. Let's just hope he's not hitting on Brian right now. They
seemed to get along really well." Ewan said, teasing Nick.
"I swear...If the two of them get together...OH SHIT!!!"
"What?"
"He knows."
"Who knows?"
"Jim knows how I feel about Brian, and we left them there together.
I'm so fucking stupid. I completely forgot!!!" Nick said, as he started to
panic.
"You told Jim? Why?"
"It's a long story, but when we were hooking up, I freaked, and he had
to talk to me to calm me down."
"That's my Jim." Ewan said, filled with pride.
"Yeah...Well...It felt so good to talk to him about it...and it was
just so easy..."
"You mean he was easy?" Ewan joked.
"Can't you be serious for a minute. What am I gonna do? I told him I
was in love with my best friend, who is now all alone talking to him!!! I'm
screwed!!!"
"Don't worry about it. I know Jim, and he's not gonna say anything.
Did you even use Brian's name?"
"No..."
"See, there you go. It's all good. I'm pretty sure he's figured it
out by now. He may look dumb, but if anything JAG's perceptive as all hell.
That's probably why you found it easy to talk to him, but trust me...He
won't say anything to Brian. He's not like that."
"I hope so...I hope so..." Nick said, as they continued on their way.
******
"...so he's never talked to you about liking guys?"
"No. I mean it's never come up, so there was no reason to..."
"I was just hoping, I guess..."
"You really do love him don't you?"
"Yeah...I do." Jim said dreamily, finishing his latest bottle of
beer.
"Awwww...." Brian said, as he moved over next to Jim, and enveloped
him in a hug.
"Alright...that's enough of that. I hate getting all sappy." Jim
said.
"I think you should tell him." Brian said bluntly, accepting another
beer from Jim.
"Oh, that'll fly right. 'Hey Ewan...I'm in love with you...Will you
sleep with me now???'" Jim said sarcastically, causing the both of them to
laugh.
"I'm serious. From what you've just told me, you need to tell him.
If anything...you need to do it for yourself. You won't be happy until you
know." Brian said, amazed that he was giving out advice to someone he just
met. He wasn't sure if the reason why he felt so at ease with Jim was from
the beers they just shared, or because he felt Jim was so nice and easy to
talk to. It was undeniable that they had connected on some level, enough
for him to be talking this way.
"Don't you think it'll be weird though?" Jim asked. "He is one of my
best friends, and he's my roommate. I know it'll definitely get weird if he
doesn't feel the same way."
"I don't think so." Brian said, as if he was an authority on the
subject. "Ewan's a smart guy and a good friend. If he doesn't feel the
same way, I don't think he'd let it get weird...that's up to you. Like I
said, you won't know until you tell him. Who knows...he could be "The One"
for you and you could just let the opportunity slip by if you don't tell
him.
"You need to trust Ewan and your friendship with him. He's your
roommate, your best friend, and he's definitely one of my best friends in
the world. I like to think that if something like this came up between us,
we could deal with it." Brian said, and then took a swig from his beer.
"That's just it. We're best friends." Jim said, and then thought to
himself. He remembered something that was bothering him ever since he was
reunited with Nick. Jim thought back on the conversation they had in the
hotel room in New York, and realized that Brian must have been the best
friend Nick was in love with.
"Hey." Jim said, and slapped the side of Brian's arm. "You're best
friend's with Nick right?"
"Yeah."
"Well...how would you react if Nick told you he was gay and in love
with you?" Jim boldly asked, and waited for an answer. Jim watched as
Brian contemplated the idea.
As Brian sat looking at Jim, there was a rustling outside of the door.
The door to Ewan and Jim's room suddenly opened.
"Pizza's here!!!" Ewan said, as he and Nick burst through the room.
"Whoa. Someone started the party a bit early." He joked as he noticed
several empty beer bottles on top of the dresser.
"Hey. No fair. Ewan and I have to catch up now." Nick joked,
causing only Ewan to laugh.
Brian turned his head and looked directly at his best friend when he
heard his voice. He stared at him for a few seconds, and then turned to
look at Jim again.
Suddenly, Jim felt both uncomfortable and disappointed at his roomie's
bad timing.
"Well, that's cause you guys took so long. Brian and I were getting
restless." Jim said as he stood from the bed. He walked over to the small
refrigerator in the room and pulled out two beers. He opened them, and
handed one to both Nick and Ewan.
"Let's eat." Ewan said, as he opened the pizza boxes, and as Brian
still stared at Nick.
******
"Yes. I'm sure no one will recognize you, and if they do, there's not
gonna be any teenage girls here to shriek your names. If someone asks, just
give 'em an autograph and move on." Ewan said irritated, anxious to get to
the party.
Nick and Brian complied and took off their makeshift disguises,
causing Ewan and Jim to smile.
"Okay. Now let's party!!!" Ewan said, leading the way into another
mansion-like house, decorated with large Greek letters above the entryway.
Ewan and Jim spotted a crowd of their Fraternity Brothers through the
sea of college students. When they were spotted, one of the men in the
group waved them over. As they were walking through the crowd, Ewan and Jim
stopped every few feet to greet people they recognized. The music the live
band was playing was too loud for them to carry on a full conversation, so
after a small wave or a smile of acknowledgement to those they passed along
the way, they finally made it to the corner where their Brothers had
assembled, along with Nick and Brian in tow.
"What's up guys?" Ewan screamed, attempting to overpower the music.
He greeted everyone in the usual manner by giving them their Fraternity's
secret handshake.
Once all of the formalities were taken care of, Ewan proceeded to
introduce Nick and Brian to all of his Brothers, as friends from out of
town. They were greeted kindly by everyone with smiles, slight nods, or
hand shakes. Nick and Brian finally felt at ease and began to enjoy
themselves. They were finally happy to escape their titles and
responsibilities as "BackStreet Boys," even if it was just for the night.
They enjoyed their newfound anonymity by talking with people they just
met, dancing, and drinking. It was apparent to Nick and Brian through the
various looks they received, that some people had indeed recognized who they
were, but to their surprise, there was no shrieking or screaming from them.
If anything, the people who did recognize them were intrigued for the
moment, but it was apparent that they were more interested in having a good
time at the party, than meeting a BackStreet Boy. Once in a while, they did
have to stop and autograph a napkin or piece of paper for those people there
who were fans, but those occasions were few and far between.
Throughout the night, Ewan watched his two friends, and always found
them smiling and having a good time. He smiled inwardly, glad that he was
at least able to give this small pleasure to Nick and Brian. He knew how
hectic and abnormal their lives were like at times. From touring with them,
he understood the constant spotlight that shone on them, and if for one
weekend he could take them out from under that harsh light and give them
some semblance of normalcy, he would do it in a heartbeat. To Ewan, that's
what this weekend was about. Celebrating his birthday was only secondary to
friends' happiness.
An hour or two later, and a few more drinks in his system, Ewan once
again searched the house for his friends. He was easily able to spot Brian,
who was participating in a typical drinking game that often occurred at
these parties. He could tell that although Brian was losing due to his
unfamiliarity with the game, he was still enjoying himself. They made eye
contact for a brief moment, giving each other nods of acknowledgement.
Brian even tried to signal Ewan over to join his losing battle, but he
refused, wanting to see how Nick was doing.
He wasn't able to spot Nick in the main room, so he decided to search
the various side rooms for him. After glancing into a few of them, he
finally found him. Nick was engrossed in what looked like a fun
conversation with several of his Fraternity Brothers. He decided to walk
over and casually join in.
"So...Obi-Wan," Ewan heard one of his Brothers speak, "along with
about ten other pledges, were blindfolded and on their hands and knees in
the middle of the backyard." Ewan immediately recognized the story his
Brother was telling, and rolled his eyes in response.
"Well speak of the devil." The one telling the story said, as he
looked up at Ewan. "You're right on cue. I was just getting to the good
part." He smiled, and motioned for Ewan to join them.
"So I hear." Ewan said sarcastically, and sat across from Nick. "You
don't really wanna hear this story do you, Nick?"
"Hells yeah I do!" Nick said excitedly, feeling like he was truly a
part of the group. "Jase was just getting to the good part." Nick said
with a smile. "Go on...I really wanna hear this." Nick said to Jason.
"I like him." Jason said, pointing to Nick. "Alright...so they were
all in this dark field, and the point of the exercise was to recognize,
find, and trust their Big Brother's voice. Just so you know...JAG," Jason
said, pointing at Jim, "was Ewan's Big Brother."
Jim covered his eyes in obvious embarrassment, which only further
caused Nick's interest in the story to deepen.
"So the Brothers at the time all spread out and called out to their
little brothers. This went on for a few minutes, until we heard JAG scream
'HOLY SHIT.'" Jason said, as he laughed along with the others.
"Apparently, Ewan's Big Brother wasn't paying attention, which caused Ewan
to ram head on, into the brick wall in the yard."
"Hey...I was paying attention. It's not my fault Obi doesn't know his
left from his right." Jim joked, earning a slap in the head from Ewan.
"What are you talking about? I do know my left from my right...you're
the one with no sense of direction." Ewan said, as the two of them argued
for a few minutes, to everyone's amusement, especially Nick's.
"Anyway...That's not the funny part." Jason said, garnishing the
attention of the group once again. "So we all go over to see what happened,
and we find Ewan curled up in a little ball grabbing his head. It was so
cute." Jason said directly at Ewan.
"Yeah, I'm so sure you found it cute. More like hysterical since I
heard all of you laughing around me."
"Yeah...You're right...it was hysterical. So, Ewan tries to get up,
but he somehow manages to lose his balance..."
"I had a concussion!!! I got dizzy!!!" Ewan defended himself.
"Sure. Whatever you say." Jason responded, causing Ewan to blush.
"So he gets up and he starts to lose his balance. Jim reaches out for his
hand, and the next thing we knew, we hear this splash. The two of them fall
backwards into the pool!"
Nick laughed uncontrollably as he pictured the whole scene in his
mind, when suddenly he came to a realization.
"But wait...Ewan can't swim!" Nick interjected.
"Exactly. That's the funny part. Jim didn't know how to swim either,
so they were both in the pool, arms waving and screaming." Jason said,
flailing his hands in the air, re-enacting their movements. "I swear, at
one point, Ewan tried to drown Jim and use him as a life preserver. We all
stood there until we realized that they couldn't swim. So, a few Brother's
jumped in and pulled them out.
"To this day, I don't think either of them have set foot inside our
pool." Jason said causing everyone to laugh and howl at his story, except
for Ewan and Jim who hung their heads in embarrassment.
"That's so classic." Nick said, once he was able to calm down.
"Wait...Wait..." he continued, waving his arms, trying to get everyone's
attention. "Since we're on the topic of embarrassing Ewan stories... I've
got a better one." Nick said, as he looked across towards Ewan, flashing
him a malevolent smile. Ewan's eyes were suddenly averted towards Nick's,
who could see the questioning look Ewan was giving him.
"Did Ewan tell you guys how we got arrested in Paris?" Nick asked the
group, and then looked back over at Ewan with a huge smile plastered on his
face.
Ewan looked at Nick in shock, unable to believe what he was hearing.
"Obi was arrested?" Jason asked, and Nick nodded. "Oh this I have to
hear."
"No you don't." Ewan cut in from the side.
Jason looked over at Ewan with a wicked smile on his face. "You have
to tell us this story, Nick."
Nick looked over at Ewan once again, and just smiled. Ewan couldn't
believe his friends were sharing embarrassing stories about him.
"Okay...So we were in a hotel in Paris, and it was right after a
concert. We were leaving early the next day, but Ewan thought it'd be a
good idea to stay up and drink and just get on the plane."
"Hey, don't blame me. You went along with the idea." Ewan threw in.
"I didn't know any better!" Nick argued, and then continued with his
story. "So there we are...it's two in the morning, and we're plastered.
Get this...Ewan dares me to go out in a trench coat and flash people."
"Oh shit...did you do it?" Jim asked in shock, knowing Ewan was
capable of conjuring up outrageous ideas, but not this crazy.
"Well...I didn't know Ewan that well yet, to know how crazy he really
is...So, I figured if I said that I'd only do it if he did it...He'd lose
interest and let it drop." Nick explained to Jim.
"Oh, that was a big mistake." Jim said, laughing and shaking his
head.
"Yeah. I know that now!!! So thinking I'm off the hook...All of a
sudden Ewan agrees and gets up. I tell him that we don't have any trench
coats, but that still didn't stop him. The next thing I know, we're walking
out of this second hand store...me naked, except for this trench coat we
just bought, and Ewan in this hideous pimp daddy, leopard print, fake fur
coat, and a hat to match!!!" Nick said, as everyone broke out into
laughter.
"We walked up to the first couple we see, and Ewan flashes them. I
find this funny that I flashed them too. We do this a few more times and
just as we're about to walk into our hotel...this cop stops us."
"Holy shit...for real?" One of the guys in the room asked.
"Yup." Ewan answered for Nick.
"Maybe we should have named you flash instead." Jim joked.
"Wait, so what happened?" Jason asked, enthralled with the story.
"They cuffed us, but luckily they took us into the hotel, rather than
the precinct." Nick continued. "After Ewan did some explaining in French,
they let us go."
"What did you say to them?" Jim turned around and asked Ewan.
"I made up some story about how Nick was the son of some ambassador,
and that we had a bit too much to drink. I told them we were registered in
the hotel, but leaving France in the morning. I think that's why they let
us go. We were leaving French soil." Ewan explained.
"You guys got lucky then."
"Well not really." Nick interrupted. "You see, by the time they let
us go, it was already time for us to leave. Remember, we were both still
very naked, except for our hideous coats. The cops insisted that they
escort the 'son of a diplomat' to his room, as a gesture of French courtesy.
When we got up to our floor, everyone in our band was in the hallway
looking for us. You should've seen the looks on their faces when we walked
down the hall, dressed in coats that only came up to our knees, followed by
two French policemen." Nick finished his story, causing everyone to burst
into another round of laughter.
"Kevin was so pissed at us. He wouldn't let us go out without at
least having one of the other guys come with us." Ewan said to Nick.
"Yeah...I remember."
"Who's Kevin?" Jason asked.
"He's one of the other guys in the band. Your remember Brian?" Nick
asked.
"Yeah."
"He's in the band too, and Kevin is his cousin."
"Oh...kinda like those New Kids on the Block guys." Jim said, causing
everyone to laugh and Nick to blush in embarrassment.
"Naw. They're much better singers than them. They only lip synch to
half their songs." Ewan joked, paying Nick back for embarrassing him with
the story earlier.
"So what do you guys sing?" Another one of the guys asked.
"Mostly pop...and we cover some songs." Nick answered, not wanting to
explain the entire history of the BackStreet Boys.
"Don't you guys sing that I want it my way song?" One of them said.
"You know, that annoying song Micah plays all the time." He said, as the
group groaned in acknowledgement.
"Yeah...We do." Nick said embarrassed, but laughing with Ewan.
"Then you're gonna have to sing for us tonight." Jason announced, to
Nick's surprise.
"Naw, I can't."
"C'mon...You do it for a living...Don't tell me you're shy!!!" Jason
joked.
"It's not that...It's just..." Nick tried to find an excuse, but was
overruled by Jason and the entire group. He saw Ewan laughing at the
predicament he was in, and got an idea.
"Alright...Brian and I will sing, but only if Ewan joins us." Nick
said triumphantly, delighted that he was able to drag Ewan into singing with
them.
"Obi-Wan can sing?" Jason asked surprised.
"Hells yeah, and he's pretty good too." Nick answered, and flashed a
devilish smile at his best friend.
"Oh...He's never told us this before. Now *THIS* I have to see."
Jason said, and stood up, followed by the others.
"I'm not gonna sing in front of everyone. Nick and Brian can pull it
off themselves." Ewan whined.
"C'mon...It'll be fun. You're not pussying out on me are you?" Nick
asked, and put an arm around Ewan. He knew he was never one to back down
from a challenge, especially one issued in front of his other Fraternity
Brothers.
"Ohhh...He called you a pussy!!!" Jim said as if on cue, egging Ewan
on further.
"There's no way I'm letting Nick call me a pussy!!! Let's go!!!"
Ewan said, as everyone cheered. They all exited the room, and headed
towards the main room where the band was.
On their way up to the makeshift stage, Nick and Ewan grabbed Brian
and ushered him to the stage.
"What's going on?" Brian asked.
"Ewan's gonna sing." Nick said.
"Cool."
"You guys are singing with me." Ewan said to Brian.
"Coool. What are we singing?" Brian asked to Ewan's disappointment.
He was silently hoping Brian would object, giving him a reason not to have
to get on stage.
"I'll get you for this later." Ewan said across Brian to Nick, who
was thoroughly enjoying himself.
"Can I have your attention please?" Jason said into the microphone.
Later on, Nick found out that Jason was the president of Ewan's Fraternity,
explaining why he was so outgoing.
"Everybody having fun?" Jason asked, receiving a loud cheer from the
crowd. "Good!!! Well, we have a little treat for you guys tonight. We
have a few singers amongst us. If you haven't recognized Nick and Brian
over here from..." Jason started to say, but realized he didn't know what
group they were from. He turned around to Nick to get the name, but before
he could ask, he heard a few screams from the crowd.
"They're BackStreet Boys!!!" Someone screamed.
"BackStreet Boys...Woo Hoo!!!" Someone else screamed causing everyone
to laugh.
"Thank You!!!" Jason said into the microphone." Nick and Brian are
from the 'BackStreet Boys,' and joining them is their special guest...Ewan
McGovern of Kappa Upsilon Mu!!!" Jason continued to say, followed by hoots
and hollers from the crowd.
Jason stepped aside clapping and indicated for the three to take the
stage.
"Thanks for having us guys!!!" Brian said into the microphone, his
southern accent prevalent.
"This was kinda a surprise to us that we were performin' tonight."
Nick said. "So bear with us. We haven't really practiced." He continued
to explain, but was still adorned with cheers and applause from the crowd.
Nick, Brian and Ewan huddled with the leader of the band to discuss
what songs they all knew, and were capable of performing. Ewan was
surprised at how Nick and Brian knew a lot of the songs he suggested. When
they were set, they took their spots in front of the microphones they were
given.
"You guys ready?" Ewan asked the crowd, and was greeted with a chorus
of "Yeahs" and applause.
The band began to play the first few chords of the song, and everyone
immediately recognized it. They had decided to do a cover of the band
Filter's latest single, "Take My Picture." Nick and Brian told Ewan they
knew the song because A.J. constantly played it on the bus.
The guitar riffs started to fill the room and everyone was bobbing and
swaying to the music. Ewan took the first verse, as they agreed earlier,
and his voiced filled the room. Nick could see that there were a few
surprised looks from some of the guys he was talking to earlier. He just
smiled and pointed at Ewan, mouthing the words "I told you so."
The chorus rolled in and Nick and Brian joined Ewan in that part of
the song. Nick took on the first part of the second verse and when he
stopped, he opened his eyes and looked over at Ewan with a smile. They were
both bobbing their heads as they heard Brian's voice take over the second
part of the second verse.
"Could everyone agree that no one should be left alone...Could
everyone agree that they should not be left alone...and I feel like a
newborn...and I feel like a newborn...kickin' and screamin'." Brian sang
out. Ewan turned back to Nick and pointed a finger at him, signaling that
Brian was singing that to him with such soul.
Nick's only response was to shake his head at his best-friend's
persistence.
Ewan took on the final verse singing, "Hey dad what do you think of
your son now...Hey dad what do you think about your son now!!!" Ewan's eyes
were closed as he belted out those few lines, but Nick could tell from the
expression on his face that he sang those words with truth behind them.
That was why they came out so powerful. He knew now why Ewan had chosen
this song. It was what he felt.
The three of them pulled off the cordless mics from the stands in
front of them, and stepped off of the stools they were sitting in, and moved
to the front of the stage to finish the song. As they sang the last line,
everyone applauded and cheered them on.
Someone was standing in front of the stage with a Polaroid camera and
signaling them to look their way. Nick spotted them and motioned for the
other two to pose for a photograph. Nick and Brian each put an arm around
Ewan's shoulders, while Ewan did the same from his spot in the middle.
There was a flash of light, as that moment of perfect harmony they shared,
was captured forever.
As they stepped off of the stage, the band began to play, and Nick
walked over to the girl with the camera. She handed him the picture and he
thanked her, before returning to the party that was still in full swing.
******
Ewan and Jim carried the two inexperienced frat partiers to their
room. They were still giggling, reminiscing, and singing as they made it up
the last flight of stairs. It was a different story though when the two
beds in the room came into sight. Brian and Nick quickly rushed for the
same bed and plopped down. Within seconds, their drunken stupor carried
them off into unconsciousness.
"What do we do now?" Jim asked, as he giggled at the two in bed
together.
"Just let them sleep it off. Why don't you take the other bed, and
I'll crash on the floor."
"Sounds good." Jim said as he sat down on the opposite bed. "You
know...they look cute together."
"Yeah...that's what I've been trying to tell Nick." Ewan blurted out,
his brain unable to censor his thoughts.
"I guess you figured it out huh???"
"Yeah. Nick told me all about your encounter with him in New York.
Small world, huh?" Ewan said, as Jim broke into song, singing "It's A Small
World After All." After the first round, Jim and Ewan were sitting on the
bed laughing.
"So what are we gonna do about it?"
"I don't know. I still haven't figured that one out yet. Ultimately,
it's up to those two...I guess."
"Yeah...but we're gonna have to speed it up some." Jim said with an
evil grin.
"Oh geez...I hate it when you go all Dr. Evil on me!!!"
Jim put his pinky to the lower right hand corner of his lip and
laughed maniacally.
"Go to bed. We'll talk in the morning."
"What are we doing tomorrow, by the way?"
"Well...they're having a group meeting, so if you wanna tag along to
their hotel, I think it'll be okay."
"Coo." Jim responded before plopping down onto the bed.
"G'night JAG."
"Night lil' bro." Jim answered, completing their nightly ritual.
Ewan stood from the bed and looked over to where Brian and Nick lay.
Somehow, during their banter, Brian and Nick had shift their positions and
where now 'spooning' each other, with Nick's arm around Brian's waist.
"It's fate." Ewan said as he turned off the lights and moved over to
his desk. He sat down, turned on his desk lamp, and pulled out a piece of
paper from one of the drawers and looked for a pen. When he found it, he
looked over once again towards Nick and Brian and began to write.
Once he was done, he folded the piece of paper and found an envelope
to put it in. Once he had sealed it, he turned it over and wrote Brian's
name on the front. Ewan opened his backpack that was next to his desk, and
placed the letter inside. He turned off the desk lamp and moved over to the
extra mattress he had brought in earlier to go to sleep, but before he laid
down, he made his way over to the bed where Brian lay. Ewan kneeled down
before his sleeping form and watched as the moonlight shone on his two best
friends.
"You've just gotta love him Bri...you just gotta." Ewan whispered
into the night, before laying down to rest.
********************************************************************************
It was only a dream!!! Hey, you guys didn't think it was gonna be
that easy or...perfect...for Nick, did ya? Okay...so what did you think?
You still gonna read on, or do you hate me now??? :) Either way, drop a
line to let me know!!!
I made this one super long, to make up for lost time, and just in case
you're wondering if you have to wait another 5 months for an update...fear
not!!! The next chapter is done. I'm just gonna wait a while before I post
it.
I wanna hear from all of ya reading this. I wanna know what you
really think, and I'm kinda curious as to where you think the story is
going, or where you'd like it to go. Or if you hate the story.
Thanks You's:
I just wanted to thank all of you who have written to me while I was
on an extended sabbatical!!! You guys are the best!!! If I haven't written
you back...I apologize.
Question:
Dudes!!! What happened to all of the BSB stories??? I know I haven't
written in a while myself, so I don't really have a right to ask, but I'm
begging you...PLEASE UPDATE YOUR STORIES!!! I miss them dearly. You know
who you guys are...but just in case you've forgotten, I'll name a few! :)
Carter - What happened to "Open Arms?" I miss reading it and talking to
ya!!!
DLS - Where's "Brian and Me?"
Announcements:
I've started writing a new story. It should be out soon. Haven't got
a title yet...gotta work on that. It's an Alternative Universe Story. The
main story revolves around Nick and Kevin, but it involves both the BSB and
'Nsync.
New Special Section: A Call to Arms to all Nicky Carter fans!!!
Just recently I've received disturbing news about the lack of Nick
Carter fans out there. I know that is so not true!!! We're out there...so
come out of your closets and speak out!!!
Check out these Nick friendly stories, and drop a note to the author's
professing your love for the adorably cute Nicky Carter!!!
Shout out to Carter who has his own story out on Nifty. I haven't
forgotten about ya!!! It's called "Open Arms." Check it out!!! It's
proving to be a good story.
"Beneath It All" by the infamous Scotty T.
"Some Kind of Bliss" by Braan
"Brian and Me" by DLS - This focuses on Brian, but the part Nick plays
is awesome and sweet...and most importantly he's gay!!!
"Fixing the BackStreet Boys" by Kelly just finished. It's an awesome
story, and Nick gets some in it!!!
"Life's Discoveries" also by Kelly. It's a Kevin and Nicky story!!!
I know there's more of us out there...so here's your chance to speak
out!!! I wanna hear from all the Nicky fans!!! I know there's more out
there, but I just didn't get a chance to include them yet...Promise they'll
be in the next one!!!
Nicky fans UNITE!!!
Lucas Out...till next time!!!
rtstories@hotmail.com